Which players will help the Buffalo Sabres head in the right direction in 2021 and lead them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
The NHL and NHLPA have agreed on a 56-game season with 23-man rosters, and the Buffalo Sabres are ready to make some noise in a realigned East Division. With training camp approaching and a new season set to begin on January 13th, the Sabres are looking to make the playoffs in 2021 for the first time since 2011, nine seasons ago- The longest drought of any NHL team.
The team has made some big changes since last year’s disappointing end, missing the NHL restart and the expanded playoffs and increasing team Captain Jack Eichel’s frustrations.
Only a couple of months later and the club has a new look, with Kevyn Adams at the helm as the new GM, he has been steadily rebuilding the organization and improving the team with an active approach to the offseason.
Jack Quinn
Among those include additions such as Jack Quinn, whom the team selected with the eighth overall pick in October’s NHL draft as well as the top free agent on the market, Taylor Hall, to surround Eichel. These three players are key to the Sabres turnaround.
At age 19, Jack Quinn was actually considered one of the older players in the draft with 1st-year eligibility- But also one of the top natural scorers. The versatile forward had a breakout year and was second in the league scoring with 52 goals and 37 assists last year in a COVID-shortened season with the Ottawa 67’s.
Quinn forwent AAA to go right to the CCHL and OHL, and his puck skills allow him to both keep defenders off their game while extending possessions on the offensive end of the ice. His intelligence and foresight for playmaking will allow him to make an immediate impact both directly, as well as for his teammates.